The Daughter Of The Sun

Chapter Two

It wouldn't change overnight. Nothing worked that way.

“You will never own a house” the voice in her mind used to say as if it amused her more than anything else “there is no place you belong”

I'm tired, Lucien thought. I'm tired of keeping insisting.

How many years had passed since the death of the person he loved? How many years since Tamlin rescued him? If he closed his eyes he could still see her smiling. He had destroyed her life the moment he allowed himself to love her and now... was that girl saying that everything could change?

“We are family” she said.

He didn't know what that word meant. Not after being born in a place like the autumnal court. Not after seeing his brothers kill the person he loved, not after trusting his friend and nearly getting killed over and over again.

Not even Feyre—the human he'd gradually learned to love and care for—stayed in his life or treated him as anything other than a usable being.

He was disposable for everyone and he was…tiring.

"I'll protect you, I'll hold your hand" she insisted and Lucien's eye burned with the tears that wanted to come out. How long had he wanted to hear those words?

Why just now?

Why only when it's already totally broken?

Before he knew it, he was shivering and sobbing in Nair's embrace. And he would like to say that it was through her daemeti powers that he opened up like that, but when he noticed, he just whimpered and questioned "why?"

Just as you soothe a small, frightened child, Nair enveloped him and soothed him. Her arms held the redhead's slender body and her parted lips just hummed to him. "Everything will be fine".

Yes, she would make sure everything was okay. Everyone would bow to him. Everyone would recognize him as a future and great grand lord. The heir of the day court.

...

Calm, continuous steps. Lucien looked completely lost, scared. Nair looked up at the sun shining in a beautifully blue sky, and as he turned his gaze to his brother, he held out a hand.

"Have you ever flown a Pegasus?" Lucien shook his head, watching the enchanting immensity that spread through the daytime court. The large buildings that looked more like Greek temple constructions, decorated with gold, precious stones and delicate details in beautiful stained glass.

"Then come" Nair smiled "I'll take you for a ride on Magnus"

With a snap of the fingers, a beautiful Pegasus with gray fur and golden eyes emerged. Nair's eyes locked with the animal's and she greeted him, “Magnus, I hope you take good care of my brother. Don't scare him"

Lucien, standing still and stunned by the animal's beauty, sighed in wonder.

"That..."

“Yes” Nair said “Magnus has been mine since I was a child, Dad taught me to ride when I was 6 years old”.

Dad. It felt so sweet coming from Nair's lips that Lucien almost forgot the pain he'd felt his entire life, all the pain related to that damn word.

"I don't know if I can ride a Pegasus by myself..."

“Then I'll go with you,” she said and with a delicate, elegant movement, she climbed onto the Pegasus and held out a hand to him.

Lucien pondered, looking at the blue skies, the buildings, mountains and trees that seemed to be made of emerald and tourmaline. Everything looked different from the beauty of spring and the magic of the night court. It was all so alive, so light.

He didn't remember feeling this way before.

With some confidence in the woman in front of him, he climbed onto the animal and, with some trepidation, held Nair's hip like a frightened child afraid of falling.

“I wasn't made for flying,” he said, hiding his face in her back.

The blonde laughed "don't say that, you're a son of the sun"

Son of the sun… he repeated to himself, feeling a slight heat in his chest.

The beat of Magnus's wings was heard and with a single thrust, they soared over the buildings. The Pegasus flew gracefully and with a delicacy that made Lucien wonder if this wasn't a dream.

"It's magic, isn't it?" Nair questioned between laughs.

Yes, he wanted to answer, but he just sighed feeling the breeze on his face and the heat of the sun on his skin, like a caress.

Nair calmly steered the Pegasus through the sky, guiding its movements, its direction. Showing his brother his favorite places, the tastiest fruits, the most interesting ruins. So they finally landed. The blonde's warm fingers gripped his and with a clean move and an elegant leap, Nair landed on the floor and guided him to it. Magnus, who was watching them intently, made a small bow before walking gracefully across the court skies and Lucien felt he could finally breathe, but there, seated in a kind of gigantic armchair with embroidery and gilded cushions, he was.

Helion. The grand lord of the day court, the great love of his mother and also... his father.

The redhead shivered. Father was a very strong word.

"Nair..." Helion called her, his eyes gently resting on his daughter. The affection in his voice was clear "you didn't force him to come, did you?"

Didn't he want him there? Lucien wondered.

Perhaps it had been a great stupidity to give in to the princess' whims...

Had he become the toy of a mighty fey again? Ah... he was tired.

Then the blonde sighed, “Daddy, I don't force anyone to accompany me. Lucien deserves to be here and has agreed to come by my side... I want to show him our house. I want him to know that this is also his place ”

Contrary to what Lucien had expected, Helion smiled.

“I'm glad he accepted. Welcome... Lucien.”

Sweet, he thought. Helion's voice had sounded sweet as she called his name, almost as if she harbored positive feelings towards him.

"Excellent!" The princess hastened to say “Come on, Luc, I'll take you to the best room in this tower. Let's choose several clothes that look good on you and... Aaaah! We have so much to do"

His touch was hot, he thought as Nair's hands touched his. She smiled and her eyes sparkled.

She was happy.

Why? He wondered, but the answer was too clear. Nair was someone sweet. Someone who has known the pain of loss since birth, someone who remembers too much. Someone who would never want to lose a family member again.

He still remembered the first time he saw her. Kid. A girl who resembled a great warrior. Clothes that are loose and at the same time delicate. Long hair, braided and at her back, a long spear.

She had nearly pierced Eris's throat that day.

“Don't you dare intimidate the weak, you worthless brat,” she had growled at her older brother and Lucien had felt protected for the first time. Did Nair even remember that moment? The weak, helpless Lucien with so much bruises all over his body that it would be easier to see where he hadn't been hurt? He didn't know if he wanted the answer to be yes or no.

He wanted Nair's eyes to continue to glow.

He liked the heat.

...

Feyre sighed. His eyes fixed on the letter that hovered over the desk in Rhysand's office.

"Is it from Helion?" Cassian asked with his arms crossed.

"Nair," Rhys replied with his fingers intertwined and his face buried in his hands.

"Do you think this will result in war?" Nessa questioned, her eyes fixed on Nyx who was sleeping peacefully in Elain's arms.

"I do not think so. Lucien and Elain are partners…he wouldn't let anything hurt her and…” Azriel, who heard everything in the corner, looked irritated “she just…sent a warning”.

"Warning?" Amren complained "Or threat?"

“A declaration,” Rhys sighed, “she…has declared Lucien Vanserra as the heir of the day court and prince of the court. His brother and eldest son of Helion"

Cassian raised an eyebrow "doesn't that make him a bastard?"

“Still useless and weak,” Azriel grumbled as Elain pretended the subject didn't involve her.

“Well, weak or not, bastard or not…she wishes all the great lords to attend a ball at the day court so they would recognize Lucien as part of the family and Helion…Helion gave the seal to her. She's fully in charge of the matter.” The words had barely left Rhysand's lips and Mor whimpered in the corner.

"She wants revenge..."

"Want to..." Rhys muttered and the blonde stood up.

“What a bag. You should thank me on your knees for what I'm about to do"

The brunette sighed "Morrigan, maybe it's better to wait..."

"Why? Nair and I always got along well” she shrugged.

“She…has set a removal order for everyone at night court,” Rhysand grumbled, “and…if any one of our court who is captured near the day court, they risk being beheaded without trial as a breach of contract between the courts"

Mor's eyes widened.

"Why would she do that?"

"Because the shadow charmer threatened to kill her little brother," Amren growled.

"Did you tell?" Azriel looked at Rhysand in disbelief.

"That's too obvious, shadow charmer" Amren snorted "you guys are ridiculously obvious."

"Whatever" Cassian grumbled "we can handle it without them"

“Helion is a friend,” Rhys reminded him.

“Nair too,” Feyre whispered.

“They want our heads,” it was Nesta who said, and for a few minutes the dark-floored, green-papered office with a beautiful view of the river seemed too silent for a meeting among the inner circle. There was only the ticking of the clock and even the wind seemed to wait in silence for them to slowly digest what had happened.

"We can try...talk" Mor muttered, running a hand through his hair.

“We can give the plant as an offering and soothe the redhead” Amren teased and the disapproving look from Feyre and Nesta made her sigh. "You have no sense of humor."

“I think we must have lost it when we went through two wars and many near-death experiences.” Nesta grumbled.

“Spare me, I'm an ancient being,” Amren sighed, “if you're not going to say anything useful and just cry over spilled milk, I'm going. I have better things to do.”

"What do you suggest?" Rhys called after her, lifting his face toward Amren, his first mate and the woman he so admired.

“Let Morrigan take care of it” She replied calmly “Helion and Nair like her, doesn't the boy fear her and sincerely? It would be better if she didn't send any of the troglodytes to piss him off. Today he is like a golden child and if Nair senses their irritation around the boy, she will kill them.”

“She can try,” Azriel growled.

“She would kill you without a second thought,” Amren stated.

"She won't go" it was Elain who muttered "everything will be alright..."

Nyx who was asleep in her lap, woke up and holding one of her aunt's fingers, smiled. In that moment, Rhysand almost allowed himself to get his hopes up, but then he remembered who Nair really was. The merciless face, the girl who had beaten him so many times as a child, the one that even Amren before he lost his powers had feared.

Nair was absurd. She's as powerful as he and Feyre, with healing superior to Illyrians and Twilight Fae, absurdly strong powers on both sides, and a true talent for armed combat. She was the definition of a perfect warrior and certainly no one would defeat her in aerial combat. Nair was a daemeti as powerful as he was and certainly... less scrupulous. Nair would destroy everything if necessary and it wouldn't take much for her to want to. She would destroy Tamlin. Beron would certainly do something to Azriel.

The prom was just an excuse. A show of power.

Nair would rub their faces in the fact that they could no longer touch his brother.

It would be a warning.

“I'll hunt them down” was what she was telling them all, and knowing that, Rhys felt a shiver run down his spine. There was no going back.